SMTA is again co-locating its annual conference, SMTA International, with the Assembly Tech Expo (ATExpo) show this fall at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois (Conference: September 24-28; Exhibits: September 26-28). For industry professionals who have an interest in contract manufacturing, the SMTA has once again organized the popular Contract Manufacturing Symposium to provide information necessary to form profitable relationships for the contract manufacturer, customer, and investor. Organized by Mike Buetow, UP Media Group / Circuits Assembly Magazine, the Contract Manufacturing Symposium on Wednesday, September 27, from 8:00AM - 11:30AM will feature two paper sessions. The first session on Exploring the Dollars and Sense of Electronic Manufacturing Services will focus on three key areas which are rarely explored in detail: key logistics cost drivers in various parts of Asia, considerations in managing product liability risk in outsourced product development and manufacturing, and issues associated with balancing service expectations of legacy customers with operational improvement initiatives in acquired facility integration. The second session, EMS Program Management, will examine three significant technical challenges facing EMS firms today: implementing RoHS compliant processes in EMS facilities of various sizes and product mixes, and how to support those customers that are not transitioning to lead-free products. Multiple case studies from Tier I, II and III EMS companies will be presented, covering materials, processes and logistics. For those companies that are delaying or exempt from RoHS laws, specific examples will be presented on how OEM needs have been addressed to minimize the impact to the EMS provider and its customers. Additional short courses of interest to EMS providers and customers are New product Introduction, Creating Competitive Advantage in Todayrsquo;s EMS Market, and The 12 Steps to a Successful Acquisition. Lead-free, SMT, RFID, Process Control, Flip Chip, Chip Scale, BGA, RoHS Compliance, Automotive and more, SMTA International is dedicated to surface mount, advanced packaging, and related technologies. For full details on SMTA International and for event registration, visit the event Web site on-line at www.smta.org/smtai or contact SMTA executive administrator JoAnn Stromberg: 952-920-7682 or joann@smta.org.